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I had the pleasure of picking the brain of Suma Subramaniam, a seasoned author (and long time member of the Mixed-Up Files team), to discuss the release of her latest chapter book: V. MALAR – GREATEST HOST OF ALL TIME! Suma took time from her busy schedule to indulge my curiosity and wow me with her wisdom.

I’m honored to be part of her new book release tour with this inspiring and heartfelt interview. So, let’s jump on in!

A Determined Journey

Patchree: What has your publishing journey been like? Did you always plan to become a children’s author?

Suma: I always wanted to be an author for a long time. But children’s writing happened when I attended my first SCBWI conference in Western Washington in 2010. I met the wonderful author, Sundee Frazier at the conference. Sundee encouraged me to keep working on a manuscript that she read the first five pages of. I followed her advice and kept the dream alive. Five years later, I got accepted to the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Fast-forward to 2019, my short story was published in THE HERO NEXT DOOR (Crown Books, 2019). And now, I’m here with V. MALAR – GREATEST HOST OF ALL TIME (Candlewick Press, 2024), illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan, with several published picture books and a few more books releasing in the next few years.

Patchree: You have quite a book resume to your name, and your work truly highlights your Indian heritage. How do you think your cultural roots impact your writing?

Suma: Thank you, Patchree! Having spent more than two decades in India, I have fond memories of my growing up years. There’s still so much I do not know.  I have deep interest in history. Every book takes me along a fascinating journey during the research process. That’s why I write uplifting, lively stories about fun and feisty children of Indian descent that my little self would’ve wanted to read.

Patchree: What motivates you to write?

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Suma: I always ask myself what my effort in writing books will amount to. Like any writer, I expect my work to influence or make an impact on many readers, and sometimes I am discouraged by the world’s indifference to children’s and young adult writing. But I hold on to the dreams I’ve had since I was a child by staying committed to the craft and the community. They sustain me through the difficult times, the struggles and disappointments that come with this profession.

Patchree: As an author, what is your wish or key takeaway for readers of your books?

Suma: I hope readers love themselves. If we can’t love ourselves, we can’t love the world. That is the key takeaway for readers from all my books.

Writing Your Roots

Patchree: Moving onto your latest book, V. MALAR: GREATEST HOST OF ALL TIME, who was your inspiration for your main character Malar?

Suma: The inspiration for V. MALAR: GREATEST HOST OF ALL TIME came from celebrating the harvest festival year-after-year since my childhood. Growing up in India, holidays and festivals brought me closer to my family. These celebrations not only passed on from generation to generation, but they also helped us navigate life’s joys and challenges with ease. In troubled times, we learned to recover together. Pongal is a four-day celebration in South India when crops are harvested in mid-January. It is celebrated every year in many Indian households during the Tamil month called Thai, in honor of the work farmers do. V. MALAR- GREATEST HOST OF ALL TIME is filled with moments of togetherness, joy, and empathy that begin in the family. I hope that through Malar’s eyes, all readers will access the experience of those relationships, take them to heart, and pass it on with love.

Patchree: How much of your own experiences did you include, if any, in this story?

Suma: Holidays and festivals are the times to gather with our families and friends, and strengthen our relationships. There is so much love underneath the traditions, celebrations, and growing up in an Indian household.

I included everything I loved about the harvest festival and the traditions of celebrating from my own family. Pongal brings families together to celebrate the blessings of good health and happiness. The first day of Pongal is called Bhogi Pongal. On this day, we clean our homes and discard old and broken items. The second day is called Thai Pongal. It is also called “Uzhavar Thirunal” which means “Farmers’ Day”. We worship the sun god and have an elaborate meal. The word “Pongal” means “to boil” in Tamil. It is also the name of the rice dish that is prepared on the second day of the festival. We make two types of pongal, sweet and savory. It is served with stew made with the season’s vegetables.

The third day is called Maatu Pongal. We honor our cattle and seek blessings for a good harvesting season. The fourth day is called Kaanum Pongal. It is also known as “Thiruvalluvar Dhinam” because we celebrate the eminent Tamil poet, Thiruvalluvar on this day.

Patchree: Your book does a wonderful job of touching on the idea of “culture shock” children of the diaspora experience when visiting their native lands. How important was this theme for you?

Suma: Thank you! As I wrote about Malar, it was important to have her believe in the strength of her extended family even though she and her cousins lived in different countries. The relationship snapshots in the story show that the expectations of both parenting and being raised as a child can feel like you’re being pulled in different directions sometimes. These are the universal experiences faced by families all over the world.  Malar’s book is more than just a story about holiday festivities. It’s a story about diaspora when cousins from opposite hemispheres meet, relishing family time, practicing gratitude, recognizing the value of what one has, being present, and even living a sustainable lifestyle while combatting climate change. There are some valuable SEL and STEM lessons to be learned here about seeing things from another person’s perspective and how ordinary people in different parts of the world choose to live responsibly.

Patchree: It’s clear that V. Malar is a planned chapter book series, what can readers look forward to with this series?

Suma: Readers can look forward to more hilarious adventures with Malar. In book-2, Malar is all set to become the greatest ranger of all time in South India’s Western Ghats where she will explore what it takes to become a nature conservationist and a wildlife advocate.

In book-3, Malar’s first visit to the US to see her cousins coincides with Diwali and Halloween. She prepares to become the greatest hallowali of all time.

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From An Author’s POV

Patchree: What do you do if, or when, you get into a writing slump? How do you pull yourself out from a stint of writer’s block?

Suma: I travel every few months to take my mind away from writing. If I’m not traveling, I do things that fill my well in other ways. I read, knit, volunteer, go for long walks, and tire my legs out. Other than that, I visit my local indie bookstore, the library, cook, and host dinner with friends and family.

Patchree: Last but not least, what is your number one piece of advice for aspiring writers or perhaps something you’ve learned that you wish you knew before becoming a published author?

Suma: Writing is a lonely creative pursuit and also a business.  With the connections you build in the industry, you can go a long way, not only to improve your creative work, but also find your way through it. Agents and editors like working with writers who are invested in making books for children in the long term. Having a portfolio of projects gives the industry an added layer of reinforcement that your work is good, and that you are putting the effort to make the writing better with every project.

More about Suma:

Suma Subramaniam is the author of several children’s books based on STEM and STEAM topics as well as India and Indian heritage. She earned her MFA in writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her poems have been published in the Young People’s Poetry edition of Poetry Magazine from Poetry Foundation. When she’s not writing, she’s volunteering and blogging about children’s books. Suma lives in Washington State with her husband and a dog who will do anything for Indian sweets and snacks. Find her online at sumasubramaniam.com.